Space elevator concepts for low-cost space launches are reviewed. Previous concepts suffered from requirements for ultra-high-strength materials, dynamically unstable systems, or from danger of collision with space debris. The use of magnetic grain streams solves these problems. Magnetic grain streams can support short space elevators for lifting payloads cheaply into Earth orbit, overcoming the material strength problem in building space elevators. Alternatively, the stream could support an international spaceport circling the Earth daily tens of miles above the equator, accessible to advanced aircraft. Mars could be equipped with a similar grain stream, using material from its moons Phobos and Deimos. Grain-stream arcs about the sun could be used for fast launches to the outer planets and for accelerating starships to near lightspeed for interstellar reconnaissance. Grain streams are essentially impervious to collisions, and could reduce the cost of space transportation by an order of magnitude.
Achievable Space Elevators for Space Transportation and Starship Acceleration
1990
9 pages
Report
No indication
English
Space Launch Vehicles & Support Equipment , Space transportation , Spacecraft propulsion , Acceleration (Physics) , Electromagnetic propulsion , Magnetic fields , Payloads , Spacecraft launching , Collisions , Cost reduction , Earth orbits , Low cost , Mars (Planet) , Solenoids , Sun , Space elevators
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